Tantrum
by Gwenneth
Summary: The things adults do to calm screaming, kicking...kids...elflings...COMPLETE


**Tantrum**  
By Gwenneth  
_In response to Heather aka LalaithoftheBruinen's fic challenge on the MC group!  
_**Rating**: G  
**Disclaimers**: They aren't mine...but awful fun to play with  
**Summary**: The things adults will do to calm down cranky kids...er...elflings!!!

* * *

"Lord Elrond," Legolas said, lounging in a chair in the elf's study, closely mirrored by Elladan, Elrohir and Aragorn. "How in the world did Lord Celeborn end up dancing with green hair at my birthday feast?"

The twins groaned. "Oh boy..." Elladan muttered under his breath.

Elrond's smile widened and he sat up. "Oh that is quite a wonderful story! You see, it all had to do with these two here..." he pointed at his sons.

* * *

"Elrond, surely you can shut them up!? They are your sons!"

Celeborn was very close to covering his ears and being done with the loud screeches and grunts and groans of the two young Elves writhing on the floor in the throws of a temper tantrum. But he checked himself. They were all in Mirkwood for a feast and it was not polite to act so...childish...during such an important feast. It was a feast to celebrate the birth of Legolas, the prince of Mirkwood, and all the Elven lords and ladies were present.

"Uh..." came a muddled response from the ground, "no, not really. See, Celebrian is the one who usually 'shuts them up' and she is currently fawning over little Legolas in the nursery, leaving me out here with our own devils." He wrenched a tuft of his hair out of the hands of Elladan, whose cherubic face scrunched just before he screamed in anger.

Sighing, Thranduil, who had been watching the fight of the Elven Lord and the children stooped and picked Elrohir off the floor, flipping him quickly to his shoulders. The little elfling immediately smiled, latched onto the king's hair and smiled. "Horsy!" he cried, pulling on the hair like reins.

Thranduil held in a wince at the tug, but smiled. "That shut him up, now didn't it?"

Elrond frowned. He managed to firmly grip Elladan under the arms, pull him upward and the swing him up onto his own shoulders. The twin also quieted his screams and smiled, grabbing onto his father's hair. Choosing that moment to enter, Celebrian, Galadriel and Thranduil's wife Ithilwen came out of the nursery. Ithilwen held the golden haired babe that was Legolas and Celebrian clutched baby Arwen.

Both children were sleeping in their mothers arms. Both mothers, seeing the iron grip of the twins, smiled knowingly. They would sure have a time getting the elflings to let go when they wanted to relieve themselves of their extra appendages.

"Shall we go down to the feast?" Celeborn said, relieved that there were no screaming elflings.

"Yes," Thranduil said, adding a bit of a bounce to his steps to keep Elrohir happy. Elrond did likewise, drawing a laugh from his wife. He scowled at that. "Next time," he said, "you take the boys, I'll take Arwen."

No answer...

* * *

The banquet hall was teaming with hundreds of Elves who had turned out for the prince's party. Legolas, for the most part, looked like he would sleep through most of it, not having stirred once since the entourage of Elven lords and ladies had arrived in the hall. Thranduil and Elrond, thinking to sit and eat, moved to extricate themselves from Elladan and Elrohir's grasp.

But it looked like the twins would have nothing of it.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"MOOOORRRRRRREEE!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Heads turned and all noise ended as everyone in the hall focused on the now screaming and screeching elflings. Elrond groaned. "Now what!?" he called out, desparately seeking advice from his wife. Celebrian tried to calm the twins, but was just as unsuccessful. "Do something!" she said, looking to the person nearest her; which happened to be Galadriel.

The fair maiden smiled meekly, turned to her husband and unceremoniously dumped a bowl of green Jello onto his head. Immediately, the screams lessoned, but they did not stop.

"Do something else!" Thranduil shrieked as Elrohir pulled particularly hard on a section of his hair, nearly pulling it clean out of his head.

Celeborn, already mortified, figured, "What the heck?" and decided to go all out and embarrass himself some more. "What shall I sing, boys?!" He called to the twins.

Immediately, Elladan exchanged glances with Elrohir. Then, together, "I'm A Little Teapot!!!"

And so it was.

* * *

"And that's how Lord Celeborn ended up with green hair, singing 'I'm a little teapot' at Thranduil's feast," Elrond said with a smile, happily taking in the amazed looks on both Legolas and Aragorn's faces. The twins were strangely quiet. They had, after all, just been highly embarrassed.

Legolas turned to them. "You really acted like that?" At their nods of agreement, he suddenly burst out laughing. "And I thought you were trouble now-a-days!"

Aragorn joined him in his laughter, as did Elrond, and finally, Elladan and Elrohir couldn't hold in their own mirth. Guffaws traveled through the air throughout the entire Homely House.


End file.
